Willalo vs Spalding
Willalo is the younger of the two, with a median age of 42 against 46 in Spalding. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Willalo, about half of households are couple families. On these figures, Willalo tends to suit families with children and couples, while Spalding suits people living alone.
Which one suits you?
There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.
Families with school-age kids
Willalo
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- is already more of a family suburb (80% vs 50%)
- carries lower crime risk (27/100 vs 38/100)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
Renters
Willalo
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- leaves renters under less rental stress (7% vs 16%)
- has cheaper rent ($90/wk vs $155/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Spalding
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- is more walkable (40/100 vs 0/100)
- has a shorter drive in (139 min vs 145 min)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Spalding
ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here
- is more walkable (40/100 vs 0/100)
- has more residents already 65 and over (24% vs 17%)
- But Willalo carries lower crime risk (27/100 vs 38/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Willalo
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (1.7% vs -8.5%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Willalo and Spalding drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.
Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.
Side by side, out of 100
Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.
Demographics
Spalding has more residents (260 vs 59); Spalding rents higher ($155/wk vs $90/wk).
| Willalo | Spalding | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 59 | 260 +341% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +1.7% | -8.5% |
| Median age | 42 | 46 |
| Median household income | $68,224/yr +26% vs other | $50,388/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $90/wk | $155/wk +72% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.3%).
Where residents were born
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (6.8%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (27.1%).
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Willalo | Spalding | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | — | $290,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
Zoning mix
| Willalo | Spalding | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 100% | 95% |
| Infrastructure and transport | 0% | 4% |
| Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the suburb around it. Zones as at 2026-09. | ||
Development activity
| Willalo | Spalding | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 12 across Goyder | 11 across Northern Areas |
| Approvals change year on year | -50% | -100% |
Ranking within SA
| Willalo | Spalding | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 38% of SA | Higher than 16% of SA |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 43% of SA | Higher than 77% of SA |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | — same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 40% of SA | Higher than 53% of SA |
Liveability
Spalding is more walkable (40 vs 0).
| Willalo | Spalding | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 6/10 | below-average income decile 2/10 |
Risk profile
Willalo carries more bushfire risk (24 vs 0); Spalding carries more crime risk (38 vs 27).
| Willalo | Spalding | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Low 24/100 | None 0/100 |
| Crime | Low 27/100 | Low 38/100 |
| Flood | — same for both | |
| Coastal erosion | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Aircraft noise | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Industrial facilities nearby | 0 within 5 km same for both | |
Schools
| Willalo | Spalding | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 0 | 1 |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Schools in Willalo
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Schools in Spalding
- Spalding Primary School Government · Primary
Amenities in the suburb
| Willalo | Spalding | |
|---|---|---|
| Supermarkets | 0 | 1 |
| Cafes & restaurants | 0 | 1 |
| Parks & reserves | 1 | 2 |
| Police stations | 0 | 1 |
| Fuel stations | 0 | 1 |
| Waterways | 0 | 4 |
Mobility
| Willalo | Spalding | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 | 40/100 |
| Distance to Adelaide | 194.5 km | 192.8 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 145 min | 139 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.0% postcode 5419 | 0.0% postcode 5454 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 44 postcode 5419 | 59 postcode 5454 |
How people get to work
Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (88.4%).
Setting
| Willalo | Spalding | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 471 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 296 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Willalo | Spalding | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 27/100 | 30/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 19 premises | 0% 132 premises |
Climate
| Willalo | Spalding | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 472 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | — same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Willalo | Spalding | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,395/yr | $1,809/yr |
| Council | Goyder | Northern Areas |
Federal electorate
| Willalo | Spalding | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Grey same for both | |
| Member | Tom Venning same for both | |
| Party | Liberal same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Willalo | Spalding | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $15,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | — same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Willalo
Other comparisons with Spalding
Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.